Government is in the process of acquiring 280,000 laptop computers for all members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, as part of the National Teacher Policy being implemented. This is intended to boost the morale of teachers to give their best to education in the country.
Delivering the Message on the State of the Nation in Parliament yesterday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo acknowledged that “the teacher is at the centre of every reform in the field of education”, adding that “prioritizing the welfare of teachers remains a key objective of Government.”
He said in addition to restoring the trainees’ allowance, government is now paying professional allowance to both teaching and non-teaching staff.
“A key objective of our effort to improve quality education and ensure that our students become globally competitive is to maintain the integrity of our examinations and assessment. In connection with this, government, working through WAEC, will introduce new measures to curb examination leakages and malpractices,” the President noted.
TVET
He thanked Parliament for passing the Education Regulation Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), saying “the passage of this Act has established the Commission for Technical Vocational Education and Training (CTVET and TVET) Service.”
All these, the President noted, will help to streamline delivery of TVET and avoid overlaps and duplication, adding that “we are also building thirty-two (32) TVET institutions across the country to augment existing infrastructure for effective TVET delivery.”
Boankra
Turning his attention to infrastructure, the President disclosed that construction works on the Boankra Inland Port in the Ashanti region will soon commence.
“Another important infrastructural development is the construction of the Boankra Inland Port, which will transform totally inland trade, and ease the movement of goods and services, especially for traders as well as our land-locked neighbours. The Korean contractors are due to start work any moment from now,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo added that other projects, including the rehabilitation of some major railway lines like the Obuase, Takoradi railway lines, among others, would be done to complement the Boankra project.
In November 2020, Parliament approved $330 million concession for development work on the Boankra Inland Port.
The Ghana Shipper’s Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) are also involved as the main supervisory agencies of the project.
Per the project details, the infrastructure would link the ports of Tema and Takoradi to the inner parts of the country and the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Construction of the Boankra Inland Port was started in January 1996 by then President Jerry John Rawlings at Fumesua, and was later taken to Boankra due to land litigation issues. Work on the project formally began in 2001 at the new location.
Other infrastructure projects
Other projects on the construction list of the government include the Takoradi, Kumasi and Sunyani airports. According to the President, works are progressing steadily on these projects.
He added that some state housing projects have also been completed.
President Akufo-Addo disclosed that 1464 housing units in Borteyman, 1,027 in Asokore Mampong and 312 in Kpone have been completed.
“Under housing, the Government of Ghana Affordable Housing Programme, which seeks to increase access to safe, secure, adequate and affordable housing units across the country, is continuing in earnest. The Koforidua, Tamale and Wa Housing Projects have been handed over to the State Housing Company Ltd for completion”, the President added.
According to him, his intention is to place special emphasis on resolving the problems of the housing sector in the country, saying tackling the housing deficit is long overdue.
